Women's Soccer: Hoy sparks offensive breakout as hosts extend win streak

Despite strong offensive showings by the women’s soccer team all season, the squad has struggled to close out the games they seemed destined to win. But Princeton was finally able to convert its prowess in the Ivy League when it took and extended an early lead over Columbia on Saturday. The Tigers dominated the visitors 4-1 for their first Ivy League win of the season.

Princeton (4-8-1 overall, 1-3 Ivy League) extended its current winning streak to three games and handed the Lions (4-9-0, 2-2) their fourth straight loss. After winning only one of their first 10 games, the Tigers finally have some momentum.

“We’ve been playing well all season, so you figure that it would come eventually,” head coach Julie Shackford said. “We dominated most of the teams that we have played in terms of stats, so it was great to be able to play and finish effectively.”

The Tigers were led by a strong performance from junior forward Jen Hoy, who finished the day with two goals and an assist. Shackford expressed before the game that she hoped to see more from Hoy, who has been a pivotal player for the Tigers in the past.

“I think Hoy has been really anxious all season. She had a lot of pressure on her, and it has been tough on her in this past stretch, since she’s had so much pressure,” Shackford said. “It was great to see her body language so relaxed and her composure around the ball.”

The Tigers wasted little time converting opportunities, and in the first minute of the game, senior midfielder Sara Chehrehsa passed to freshman midfielder Lauren Lazo on the right side of the goal. Lazo took the ball and booted it into the net, giving the Tigers an early advantage.

Princeton came back 10 minutes later to widen the lead when Lazo found Hoy on the right side of the box. Hoy then rushed toward the right side of the goal while marked by a Columbia defender but was able to edge around her to deliver a left-footed shot across the goalie and into the right side of the net.

Already stacked with two goals only 10 minutes into the game, Princeton appeared to have carved out a safe margin. But in the 15th minute of play, Columbia defender Isabel King passed the ball up the middle to forward Ashlin Yahr. As Yahr ran up the middle of the defense, junior goalkeeper Kristin Watson came off her line for what appeared to be a routine stop. But Yahr chipped the ball over Watson’s head and found the back of an undefended net, sending a shock to the Princeton squad.

Princeton was able to shake off the blows and push forward. After playing a quiet game for the rest of the first period, the Tigers added to their lead after halftime.

Only one minute into the second period, Hoy took a pass and rushed up to the right side of the box. The junior shook past a Columbia defender and sailed a cross to freshman midfielder Melissa Downey, who sent a header into the net.

In the 76th minute, Hoy delivered the final blow to the Lions when she gained control of the ball in a crowded box. Hoy moved around the right side of a defender and edged a cross-shot into a small gap in the left side of the goal.

With an Ivy League win finally in their pockets, the Tigers will seek to continue their winning habits at Roberts Stadium against Utah Valley on Tuesday night before traveling to Harvard next weekend. The Crimson leads the league with 10 points in league play, with three wins and one draw in four games.